Medical pluralism in a Dong Village, Southwestern China

Abstract

Since Charles Leslie introduced the concept of “medical pluralism” in the early 1970s, there has been a steady stream of research in this domain. Based on a case study of a Dong (ethnic group) village in China, this paper attempts to present the complex operation of pluralistic healthcare and looks into the fundamental issues of pluralistic medical research. Results find that first, the future of pluralistic medical care system is in a flux. Second, plural medical care systems are in a state of symbiosis, which is dynamically compatible with local disease classifications. Third, the different elements of a pluralistic medical care system are in competition with each other, which depends on the maintenance of the daily doctor-patient relationship in the local society. This in-depth exploration of medical pluralism not only deepens the understanding of the topic itself, but also integrates the topic into local society and ordinary ethics.